Amusement device



Sept. 3, 1957 L. w. CLARK 2,805,061

AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Jan. 24, 195e 3 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 3, 1957 L. w. CLARK' AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Jan. 24, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

de/VEYS Sept. 3, 1957 L. w. CLARK AMUSEMENT DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 24, 1956 INVENTOR. 0n/ey W. cme/f BY United` States Patent *y dice` Patented Sept. 3, 1957V AMUSEMENT DEVICE Lowry W. Clark, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Application January 24, 1956, Serial No. 560,950

3 Claims. (Cl. 272-7) The present invention relates to an amusement device 'for children in which passenger seats are carried around in a circle in horizontal and tilted planes.

An object of the present invention is to provide an amusement device for children which is highly attractive to children, one which provides children with a new and thrilling ride.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an amusement device which is simple in structure, sturdy in construction, one economically feasible, and one highly effective in action.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the amusement device of the present invention, the dotted lines indicating the reinforcing structure of the device,

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the assembly of Figure 1, the ground surface being cut away to show the base of the device.

Figure 3 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a vertical view, taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of `Figure 4 and on an enlarged scale,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 6 6 of Figure 3, with a portion of the main drive Wheel broken away to show the bearings which support the wheel,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view, taken on the line 7 7 of Figure 6, showing in dotted lines the tilted position of the platform, and

Figure 8 is a schematic view, on a reduced scale, showing in one set of dotted lines the elevated position of the table and showing in the other set of dotted lines the tilted position of the table.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views the present invention consists in a base 10, embodying an upright cylinder 11 having an open upper end and mounted on a supporting surface. In Figure 2 it will be seen that the supporting surface, in this instance, is the ground 12 although the cylinder 11 may be erected Within a building or upon any other supporting surface. A standard 13, consisting in a piston fitting within the cylinder 11, is positioned on the base and is vertically movable between up and down positions by means of air admitted to and exhausted from the bottom of the cylinder 11 through a pipe 14.

A platform is positioned above the standard 13 and is connected to the standard 13 for tilting adjustment about a horizontal axis. The platform 15 consists in a horizontally disposed plate 16 having depending lugs 17 on its underface adjacent one end. A cap plate 18 covers the upper end of the standard 13 and has upstanding lugs 19 at its end adjacent the lugs 17. A horizontally dis- 2 posed pivot pin 20y (Figure 6) extends through the lugs 17 and lugs 19 and supports the plate 16 above the cap plate 18 for tilting adjustment about thepin 20 as an axis.

Means is provided for effecting the tilting adjustment of the platform. Such means embodies a pair of hy- .draulic cylinders 21 (Figures 3 and 7) each pivotally connected by a collar adjacent its upper end to lugs 22 which project from the end of the cap plate 18 opposite to the lugs 19. The actuating arms23 of the hydraulic cylinders 21 are pivotally andoperatively 'connected to the other lugs 24 which depend from the under face of the plate 16. Upon admission of air or other fluid to the hydraulic cylinders 21,'the platform 15 will tilt to the dotted line position at an angle with respect to the standard 13 as shown in Figure 7.

Thev platform 15 includes posts 25 and 26 rising from one end and posts 27 and 28 rising from the other end. A horizontally disposed disk 29 is fixedly secured to the upper ends of the posts 25 to 28, inclusive, and a vertically disposed fixed shaft 30 extends upwardly from the center of the disk 29. A main drive Wheel 31 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 30 with a roller bearing assembly 32 interposed between the wheel 31 and the shaft 30. The main drive wheel 31 carries on its upper end a drum 33 and from the wheel 31 and the drumV 33 extend struts 34 which form a supporting structure for a horizontally disposed table 35 of disk shape simulating, in its exterior appearance, a saucer. Braces 36 extend from the plate 16 to the disk 29 and reinforce the posts 25 to 28, inclusive. y

The table 35 is provided on its upper surface with a plurality of seats 37 in the form of cups and extending about the perimeter of the table 35. The shaft 30, the main drive wheel 31, and the bearings 32 provide the means by which the table 35 is connected to the platform 15 for rotation about a vertical axis.

Means is provided for effecting the rotational movement of the table 35 and consists in a motor 38 carried on the end of a plate 29 which extends outwardly from and is secured to the under side of the disk 29. The motor 28 is connected by belts 40 to the main drive wheel 31 for effecting the rotation of the table 35. The speed reduction unit 41 is driven by the motor 38 and is drivably connected to the belts 40 by the pulley 42 on the end of its shaft 43.

The table 35 is formed at its central portion with a flattened frusto-conical formation 44 capped by a plastic transparent bubble 45 simulating the cover of the cockpit of the simulated space ship or ying saucer represented by the table 35. The simulated figure of a man, indicated by the reference numeral 46, is positioned within the formation 44 with its simulated head projecting upwardly into the bubble 45. On each side of the bubble 45 is a vertically disposed shaft 47 having a propeller 48 on its upper end and having its lower end journaled in the lowermost one of the struts 34 adjacent thereto. A pulley 49 mounted upon the shaft 47 intermediate the ends thereof is drivably connected by a belt 50 to a large pulley 51 mounted upon the upper end portion of the shaft 30 above the drum 33. The shaft 30 is fixed and therefore the pulley 51 is xed relative to the standard 13 and as the table 35 rotates about the standard the belt 50 will drive the shafts 47 to turn the propeller 48 in a realistic manner.

In operation, the amusement device of the present invention will be initially positioned as shown in Figure 2 with suitable step structures 52 adjacent the perimeter to aiord easy access to the upper surface of the table 35 for the admission of occupants to the seats 37. It is intended that the surface of the table exteriorly of the frusto-conical formation 44 be suiciently braced by crossbraces 53, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, inclusive, so that individuals may walk upon the upper surface of the table 35 safely and without injury to the upper surface of the table 35. Each of the cup like formations forming the seats 37 isrprovided with a handrailp54 projecting from one Wall of the cup formation, as shown inFigures 1 and 5. Suitable controls (not shown) are used to actuate the motor 38 for turning the main drive wheel 31 in either a clockwise or a counterclockwise Ydirection and to admit air or other fluid into the lower end of the cylinder 11 to raise the standard 13 to the position in which the table is horizontal and above the ground as shown in Figure 8 and indicated by the reference numeral 35'. The controls also include means to admit air or hydraulic fluid into the pair of hydraulic cylinders 21 to tilt the platform 15 from the full line position shown in Figures 4, 6, and 7 to the dotted line position shown in Figure 7, the latter position being indicated by the reference numeral 15. This tilting of the platform 15 results in the movement of the table to the tilted position while elevated, as shown in Figure 8 and indicated by the reference numeral 35". Other controls (not shown) may be used to apply a braking action to the table 35 to stop it when the occupants of the seats 37 wish to disembark therefrom.

The materials from which the amusement device of the present invention may be constructed include steel tubing, Plexiglas, sheet metal, sheet plastic, and the like. will be seen that the amusement device constructed according to the present invention will provide a safe and harmless and attractive ride for children and others.

What is claimed is:

1` In an amusement device, a base adapted to be mounted on a supporting structure, a standard positioned on said base and connected to said base for vertical up Itv and down movement, power means for electng the movelments of said standard, a platform positioned above said standard and connected tosaid standard for tilting adjustment about a horizontal axis to a position at an angle with respect to said standard, power means for effecting the adjustment of said platform, a horizontally disposed table provided with a plurality of seats extending about lits perimeter, said table being positioned above said platon Vthe central portion of saidtable, a transparent bubble.

capping said formation, and a plurality of horizontally disposed rotatable Propellers arranged in spaced relation exteriorly of and about said bubble and connected to said table to rotate with said table.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED SlfATl-ES PATENTS 799,986 Jones g Sept. 19, 1905 1,405,923 Kohler -..-Q. Feb. 7, 1922 1,559,476 Troike Oct. 27, 1925 1,799,409 Custer Apr. 7, 1931 1,996,923 Jacobsen Apr. 9, 1935 2,405,108 Brown g,..- Aug. 6, 1946 2,657,928 McDonald Nov. 3, 1953 

